At only 14, Jake Reisdorf is an award-winning beekeeper—and, the buzz is, he's not alone in his generation. (NAPS)

(NAPSI)—Nearly everyone born between 1996 and 2010—Gen Z, as
they’re known—owns a smartphone, Mediakix research shows. What
many people don’t know, however, is that these young people are often
as much into nature as they are into technology.

Fourteen-year-old Jake Reisdorf of California
is a shining example. The subject for a school project was the impetus that
turned an initial interest in bees into a full-fledged hobby and business,
and the young entrepreneur now serves as founder and CEO of Carmel Honey
Company.

He had taken a beekeeping course and used that information to create a
website for a class project. His fellow students, however, seemed more
interested in learning about honey bees than about website design. So
Reisdorf procured a hive and began rescuing wild swarms. He now manages
nearly 100 hives.

While Reisdorf enjoys selling honey and honeycomb to specialty food stores
and restaurant chefs, he also uses his company to raise awareness about how
important honey bees are to the food system, speaking at schools, giving out
seed packets, and even educating adults at Kiwanis and garden club meetings.

He also places hives on properties for those looking to support honey bees
without becoming beekeepers themselves.

“We place hives on both residential and commercial
properties,” said Reisdorf. “That way, people are able to let the
honey bees pollinate their garden beds or flowers, but they don’t have
to be involved in hive management. It’s a great way to raise awareness
about pollinators and get the local community involved.”

Reisdorf’s support of pollinators recently caught the attention of
the Bayer Bee Care Program as the company searched for its next recipient of
the Community Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding beekeepers and
partner organizations making a difference in their communities. Reisdorf was
awarded the first-ever Young Beekeeper Community Leadership Award for his
work as a future key player in an otherwise aging beekeeping industry.

Fortunately, he isn’t the only Gen Z member who cares about
pollinator health. This year’s award garnered applications from nearly
two dozen teens from across the country who are making pollinator health a
priority.

Though these young naturalists certainly participate in the digital
landscape, many of today’s Gen Z kids are using social media and other
forms of technology to spread the word: Bees are cool, and each individual
can play a vital role in determining their fate.